Tips and Quips

Hello, friends, and how are you this fine Thursday afternoon? Today I thought I'd share a few tips and hints. Let's start with this one:

Do you have a baby or small children? Then investing in a few red washcloths is a good idea. If your toddler falls learning to walk to the detriment of his or her lip, if your preschooler topples off the climbing equipment or has a big wheel accident or any other spill that ends up with a scrape or a bitten tongue, they're not going to be happy, and who can blame them? However, if you use red washcloths and the blood isn't immediately and startlingly apparent, that will help cut back on at least some of the tears. 

Are you pinching pennies and want to make every dollar count? Then you probably aren't happy if things you've paid for are damaged and unusable. Wearing an apron is a good protector for clothing, but sometimes mystery spots appear, on clothing, floors, furniture, you name it. In that case, these can be a real lifesaver:

Old English Scratch Cover polish and a variety of wood colored pens will hide almost anything on furniture, picture frames or the like. A black permanent marker or sharpie will do the same for inexplicable white spots on black clothing or tights, allowing you to extend the use of an item that is otherwise perfectly fine.

This is one of those just in case bits of advice, but it can't hurt:

A safety pin or two on your key ring might prove very helpful someday, if there is a button loss or elastic failure while you're away from the house.

Organizers always say put like things together, so here is an example:

We call this our Let There Be Light drawer in the buffet. It has bulbs, candles, matches and batteries in it, so there is never any hesitation when any of those are needed. We both know that's where to look. 

We live in a rented house with limited storage space. Without these organizational aids, we'd really be in bad shape:

We have over-the-door hooks in several places and they are a real way to corral things without damaging property we don't own. The under shelf baskets come in multiple sizes and double up space. There are two more in the kitchen and one in the linen closet for washcloths. 

No picture for this one, but if a product doesn't work right, taste good or stay fresh, look for a 1-800 number to call. Every time I've had a problem and done this the company or manufacturer has been happy to send a refund, or coupons for a free replacement. If you don't get your money's worth from a purchase, spend a little time to be reimbursed. 

As for the quips, my mother used to say "If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride" as well as "If ifs and ands were pots and pans, there'd be no work for the tinker's hands." "It'll never show on a galloping horse" was common too. The first two refer to the futility of wishing for riches. Her grandparents were from Ireland, so perhaps these are common expressions there. As for the galloping horse, don't worry about minor flaws or imperfections, excellent advice for those of us who shop at thrift stores and yard sales!

Stay cool!

Michele